Chapter 67: The Past 2/2
This was the beginning of Ella and Jane’s unique friendship. From that day forward, they became inseparable. No one dared to mess with Jane anymore, not when Ella was always close by, ready to step in.
Ella couldn’t be expelled from school despite her many disciplinary infractions. Her parents were major financial contributors to the institution, and the administration was reluctant to lose their support. Ella didn’t come from a middle-class family—not by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, her family was extremely wealthy.
Her parents had sent her to this all-girls school in the hopes that its strict environment would "straighten her out." They disapproved of her love for rock music, calling it "devil music" and blaming it for her rebellious attitude. To them, Ella was the family’s problem child, the black sheep who couldn’t follow their expectations.
Meanwhile, Ella’s sister, Cleopatra, was the shining treasure in her parents’ eyes. Cleopatra attended prestigious schools around the globe, gaining exposure and learning the finer points of etiquette. She was being groomed to represent the family with grace and sophistication.
Ella, on the other hand, didn’t care about her status as the black sheep. She resented her parents’ constant attempts to control her life and knew she wouldn’t be able to find her own path while under their thumb. But eventually, even her family’s wealth and influence couldn’t protect her. After repeated warnings, Ella was finally expelled from the school.
Her parents had had enough. In a fit of frustration, they disowned her. However, despite their anger, they couldn’t fully abandon her. In their own twisted way, they still loved her. They provided her with a fixed sum of money to support herself, giving her a chance to figure things out on her own.
Using this money, Ella managed to get into college. By sheer luck—or perhaps fate—she ended up not only attending the same college as Jane but also sharing a dorm room with her.
It seemed like a fresh start, but this newfound freedom quickly became Ella’s undoing. College offered a level of liberty Ella had never experienced before. Without strict rules or constant supervision, she found herself spiraling out of control.
"College is the place to live life to the fullest," people often said, and Ella embraced that idea wholeheartedly. This mindset marked the beginning of her relationship with drugs. It started with weed—harmless enough in her eyes—but it soon escalated to harder substances.
Jane didn’t know how to handle the situation. She was still the same timid girl who had been in awe of Ella’s confidence. Fearful of confrontation, Jane stood by silently, watching as Ella’s life unraveled.
By Ella’s sophomore year, her drug use had reached alarming levels. Her grades plummeted, and her reckless behavior landed her in the hospital more than once. Each time, she would promise to turn her life around, but the moment she was discharged, she would fall right back into her destructive habits.
One fateful night, everything came to a head.
Ella had spent the evening getting high, blowing through a significant portion of the money her parents had given her. She staggered through a dimly lit area, her mind clouded and her senses dulled. She didn’t know where she was or how she had gotten there, but she didn’t care.
"Man, that was good," Ella muttered to herself, her voice slurred.
Unbeknownst to her, she was being followed. A group of three men had noticed her wandering aimlessly, her intoxicated state making her an easy target. Each step she took deeper into the secluded alley increased the danger she was in.
"Hey, sexy!" one of the men called out, grabbing her by the arm.
Ella turned, her hazy mind struggling to comprehend the situation. The other two men chuckled darkly, closing in on her.
"How about we have a little fun?" the first man said. Ella’s instinct to resist kicked in, but her movements were sluggish, her strength sapped by the drugs coursing through her system.
Her attempt to pull away earned her a harsh slap across the face, sending her crashing to the ground.
"Hold her down," the man barked. "I’m going first."
The other two men quickly pinned her to the ground. Ella’s vision blurred as she felt their filthy hands creeping up her legs, tugging at the hem of her skirt. She realized what was about to happen, but she was too weak to fight back.
Suddenly, a loud smack echoed through the air, followed by an agonized scream.
Ella blinked, trying to focus. Through her foggy vision, she saw a slender figure standing over one of the men. It was Jane.
Jane had used a rock to strike one of the attackers over the head. Blood trickled down his face as he crumpled to the ground.
"Get off her!" Jane screamed, her voice trembling with both fear and determination.
The other men turned their attention to Jane, their anger shifting toward her. They pounced on her, beating her mercilessly. Ella could only watch in horror as Jane was reduced to a bloodied mess.
Just when it seemed like things were about to take an even darker turn, a voice rang out in the distance.
"HEY! STOP RIGHT THERE!" someone shouted.
The men froze, their heads snapping toward the sound. Realizing they had been spotted, they fled, leaving Jane and Ella behind.
The man Jane had struck was later arrested, as police were able to extract his DNA from the bloodied rock. His accomplices were also caught, and justice was served.
Both Jane and Ella were admitted to the hospital following the attack. While recovering, Ella couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened.
Jane, shy and soft-spoken Jane, had risked her life to save her. It was the first time anyone had ever stood up for her like that.
Ella realized, in that moment, that her reckless decisions didn’t just affect her—they affected the people who cared about her as well. Jane’s bravery gave Ella a new sense of responsibility. She vowed to turn her life around, and from that day forward, she never touched drugs again.
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Kyle sat in stunned silence as Jane finished recounting the story. He had expected something dramatic, perhaps even a little melodramatic, but nothing like this. The bond between Jane and Ella was unlike anything he had ever encountered.
"You... you stood up for her?" Kyle asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
Jane nodded, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. "It was the first time I ever stood up for anyone," she admitted. "I don’t know what came over me. I just... couldn’t let them hurt her."
Kyle smiled softly, his heart swelling with admiration. "God, that was intense," he murmured, running a hand through his hair.
Jane tilted her head, noticing the glimmer in his eyes. "A-Are you crying?" she asked hesitantly.
Kyle blinked, lifting a hand to his face. Sure enough, a single tear had slipped down his cheek.
"I guess your story moved me more than I thought," he said with a small laugh, brushing the tear away.
For the first time, Jane felt a connection with Kyle that went beyond words.
"Do you have anyone important to you, Kyle?" she asked softly.
Kyle hesitated, his gaze distant. "I... don’t know," he said finally.
